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Paper One Assignment |
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Length: 4-5 pages (about 1500 words) Format: Use MLA style, including a Works Cited page and in-text citation providing page numbers for quotes and paraphrases. The paper should be double-spaced, using 12-point Times Roman or a similar font, with one-inch margins top and bottom, left and right. Due Dates: Drafts (two print copies and a digital file ready to upload), at least four pages long, are due Tuesday, February 10, at the beginning of class. Revised versions (one print copy and a digital file) are due at the beginning of class on Tuesday, February 17. The Assignment: James Baldwin is widely held to be one of the best essay writers of the twentieth century, and many critics have noted his ability to weave narrative and argument throughout the course of an essay. Your task in this assignment is to analyze how Baldwin does this weaving in “Notes of a Native Son,” and to say something meaningful about the effects of combining narrative and argument in this essay. You will need to state your analytical claims as precisely as possible, and you will need to organize your paper so that it develops a central, specific insight. Your Audience: Write for an audience of UI undergraduates who have not read this essay. In order to make your analysis effective, you must explain the context of “Notes of a Native Son” and describe Baldwin’s purposes in writing the essay. In all likelihood, you will need to reproduce some of Baldwin’s language (in other words, quote from the essay) to show your readers what you see in his prose, but the majority of your paper should come from your analysis of the essay and its language. Your Resources: Class discussions and homework assignments will guide you towards the writing and revision of this paper. The first chapters of Writing Analytically suggest useful analytical responses to writing, and we will practice these responses repeatedly. You are welcome to bring drafts to me for response during office hours, or in an appointment we arrange. You will receive detailed responses to your draft from two classmates, and as a class we will review and critique three drafts that represent challenges most writers experienced as they drafted. You can also make an appointment to work with a tutor in the Writer’s Workshop as you plan, compose, and revise your work. Grading Criteria: When I grade your revised paper, I will look for the following:
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